Eternal Life

Posted by Sage David Rosman April 17, 2010 - 1,115 views

I could not think of a better group to ask - I am working on a lecture series concerning our pluristic society and religious beliefs. I am a Jew by birth and tradition, even wanting to be a Cantor at one point in my life. Over the years I have dropped my theistic belief and moved through deism, agnosticism and now atheism. I have studies the Western and Eastern religions but do not understand one thing.

What exactly is the attraction to living forever in the afterlife? This thought is prevelant in most all religions but does not make sense to me. In 1882, Robert Ingersol said "death is, at its worse, only a perfect sleep." Christians believe in a "reward" for accepting Jesus as their savior. Jews believe that God acceptance is based on one's temporal actions as well as adherance to the biblical "rules." Buddhists in reencarnation. Is death so difficult to accept?

4 comments

Deleted Member Reb David,

Please email me at aclairephillips@hotmail.com. I've misplaced your #.
Claire
April 19, 2010 - delete
Deleted Member MY DEAR FRIEND AND TEACHER, David Rosman. As a comrade and traveler with you in this earthly existence, I too have a fascination with the "after" life. In my experience I have begun to understand this as more of an "extension" to life. Recently I saw a... more
April 17, 2010 - delete
Rev Robert Fuller I will agree that there seems to be in most of mankind a quest to continue but, I'm not so sure that the quest to continue forever, is the driving force behind these beliefs. The desire for something better, a place with no suffering, no war, no hunger, a... more
April 17, 2010
Charles Lee, Jr I don't think its death that's difficult to accept but rather, it's
the "not knowing" what's on the otherside of death.

The possibility of awakening in a distasteful location is a primal
fear that many of us, if not most of us have not reconc... more
April 17, 2010